The national formula shortage is a crisis for families across the country
As a mother who is watching other mothers share their stories about how they cannot find their baby’s formula, with pictures of empty shelves circulating the internet, my heart breaks for every mother that is experiencing this right now.
I currently have two sons and am pregnant. My first son is four. He was breastfed for the first four months and formula-fed for the months after, due to not being able to pump enough while I was at work. My second son, who recently turned one, has been exclusively breastfed. Our journey looks much different, for many reasons. One of the biggest though was being home significantly more than I was able to with my first. Through both experiences, I have come to know that fed is the bare minimum. Mothers will feed their babies, even if it isn’t the way they always imagined.
As my heart aches for families all over the country, one thing I can’t help but notice is the media coverage of this crisis.
Here are some examples of things I have NOT seen:
- Content calling mothers “bad mothers” for formula feeding.
- Content telling women breastfeeding is free.
- Acknowledgment of the systems that have failed mothers from mainstream media sources.
- Content telling women who are currently formula feeding their infants to “just breastfeed.” (Not sure anyone who would say this knows exactly how breastfeeding works, but okay.)
Yet, this is the narrative I keep seeing in the never-ending “breastfeeding vs formula” battle the media (and social media) seems to paint.
Here are some examples of media coverage I HAVE seen:
- Headline after headline to “stop telling mothers to breastfeed,” or “stop shaming formula-feeding mothers.”
- “Breastfeeding isn’t free.” Insert numerous reasons why breastfeeding is so awful (engorgement, cracked nipples, etc.)
- Continued fear-mongering content over breastfeeding. (Even seeing one image of women trapped and drowning in bottles of breastmilk.)
- A lot of “fed is best” content.
- The typical breastfeeding support pages, lactation experts, and advocates continuing to provide education and information related to the promotion of breastfeeding.
- I’ve seen mothers supporting mothers, mothers asking if they can donate their freezer stashes of pumped milk, or offering to ship formula to a mother who can’t find hers in local stores.
And here are some things I want people to know:
- It is not your fault there is a formula shortage.
- That being fed should be the bare minimum standard, a standard that isn’t able to be promised to some families right now.
- It is not your fault if you had a traumatic birth, if your baby was separated from you, or if you were committed to breastfeeding and this journey was sabotaged.
- It is not your fault that our maternity leave doesn’t allow ample time for breastfeeding to even be established, or sustained for when parents go back to work.
- It is not your fault if your baby was born with an oral tie, had latch issues or if you had pain and were met with “fed is best” instead of more tangible support to meet your needs.
- It is not your fault if you were told formula is a secure option for your baby, and now can’t find their formula.
- You are not meant to feel guilt over choosing formula, choosing breastfeeding, or circumstances that lead to these things not being choices at all.
Ways we can support each other right now:
- Formal and informal breastmilk donation. Formal donation is through a local milk bank, like Mother’s Milk Bank Northeast. An informal donation would be accepting milk from another mother in person. For example, Human Milk for Human Babies breastmilk donation Facebook page. Local RI mothers are posting here. Some mothers are asking for milk, some mothers are offering their freezer stashes and even listing if their diets are free of certain allergens.
- Put it out there if you are looking for a certain formula, and if you are someone willing to buy formula if you happen to see it. I’ve seen such an outpour of people willing to purchase or ship someone their formula if they come across it.
- Local formula exchange. Freeforumla.exchange is connecting people looking for formula to people donating their unopened, unexpired formula.
- If you are currently pregnant AND have the desire to breastfeed, take time to educate and prepare. The more prepared you are and equipped with the necessary support, the more your journey will be successful. Finding a local breastfeeding education class can make a big difference, as well as connecting with other breastfeeding mothers or support groups.
Please share with us other resources that aren’t mentioned here and remember, None of this is your fault. What I hope is that mothers aren’t feeling “guilt” but instead, a valid source of anger towards a system that does little to support our basic needs, and is that mothers will continue to support each other through the current crisis, and beyond.
